This invention relates to orthotic and rehabilitative rotation of the human wrist, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus that rotate a wrist to varying degrees depending on the amount of flexion of the associated elbow.
Equipment used for rotating human wrists in the past has been complicated and cumbersome. Some of these devices have substituted spring mechanisms for human muscles. These systems provide either inward (pronation) or outward (supination) rotation, but not both. Other devices such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,814, require rotation of a threaded cable to cause flexing and extension of a joint. Also, clothing can not be worn over orthotic equipment and therapy equipment when it is large and bulky or when the clothing could become entangled in the moving parts.